Dogfights Over Midway

[paulr]

 

[bigjackmac]

Yeah, it just gets uglier and uglier, don't it?

V/R,
Jack

[pierre the shy]

Yeah, it just gets uglier and uglier, don't it?

V/R,
Jack

Ouch......

I set up my next Buffalo mission last night that I will play out today.....its 10 December 1941 and RAF Far East HQ has decided on an all out attack on the Japanese beachhead at Kota Baru......so the Buffaloes have been temporarily detached north to operate from Kuantan to escort two flights of Vildebeest torpedo bombers on an early morning raid on the Japanese transports just offshore....but as the raiders approach the target area Kapito Red One spots the defending CAP approaching.....this time its at least one section of nimble Ki-27 "Nates"......can they stop the Nates from decimating the lumbering biplanes (which only have a speed of 2 and have 30 odd squares to cross before they can launch their torpedos....)?

Good luck with your next mission Jack....My daughter decided to wake up extra early today so I am wide awake now 



     

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

What a scrap

[bigjackmac]

Thanks guys, and sounds awesome, Pierre, I can't wait to see it.

It's funny to hear someone say "...the nimble Nates," but then I remember you're guys are using Buffaloes!  Good luck!

V/R,
Jack

[bigjackmac]

All,

1425 local time
4 June 1942
Midway

It's 4 June 1942, the dawn of the epic "Battle of Midway," a clash of giants, three US carriers vs four Japanese carriers that proved to be the turning point of the war in the Pacific. For more information, both real-life and how I'm running this campaign, please check here:
https://oldleadbreed.blogspot.com/2019/11/battle-of-midway-campaign-plan.html

To catch up on all the old fights, please click here:
https://oldleadbreed.blogspot.com/2019/11/battle-of-midway-fight-1.html

It's now 1425, and a flight of B5N "Kate" torpedo bombers is inbound, escorted by four Zeros. Lt Fitzsimmons, the Squadron XO, leads the six-ship CAP up to meet them.


The super-maneuverable Zeros flown by super-experienced pilots are known to give the Yanks a hard time...


But some of the foxes manage to get into the henhouse!


And while the Americans take their lumps...


But they show pretty well, too.


Though not well enough...

To see how the fight went, please check the blog at:
https://oldleadbreed.blogspot.com/2020/03/battle-of-midway-fight-10.html

Well, this has been incredibly ugly, and there's one more to go.  The Japanese dive bomber and torpedo attacks damaged the Yorktown and Enterprise, but flight operations continue.  The last Japanese carrier, the Hiryu has been sighted, and it's all hands on deck.  The planes have launched, and we've got LtCmdr Case leading the last three Wildcats in escort of six SBD Dauntlesses.

V/R,
Jack

[paulr]

 

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Ouch

[bigjackmac]

Thanks guys.

V/R,
Jack

[bigjackmac]

All,

1700 local time
4 June 1942
Midway

It's 4 June 1942, the dawn of the epic "Battle of Midway," a clash of giants, three US carriers vs four Japanese carriers that proved to be the turning point of the war in the Pacific. For more information, both real-life and how I'm running this campaign, please check here:
https://oldleadbreed.blogspot.com/2019/11/battle-of-midway-campaign-plan.html

It's now 1700, and as the sun is settling into the ocean, LtCmdr Case is escorting a flight of SBD Dauntlesses out to sink the fourth Japanese carrier, the Hiryu.


The Japanese fighters zoom on in, very aggressive, as normal.


Ensign Bryant in there, mixing it up, despite his Wildcat being damaged!


The Zeros begin making their runs on the Dauntlesses.


But the bombers get through!  Largely on the work of the dive bomber crews, themselves...

To see how the fight went, please check the blog at:
https://oldleadbreed.blogspot.com/2020/03/battle-of-midway-fight-11.html

If you made it this far, thanks for reading all these, I hope you enjoyed them.  I had fun, but I can't say it was a lot of fun, just too many ass-whoopins for my taste!  It pains me to no end to know that the US Army Air Force is performing  better than my sailors and beloved Marines...

Thus ends Midway, the (in my humble opinion) true turning point of the War in the Pacific.  Yes, the war would continue for three more years of hard-fighting, and yes, of course, Guadalcanal was no sure thing; as a Marine, I'd love to say that Guadalcanal was the turning point, but the truth is that the US never won before Midway, and never lost afterward (I don't mean setbacks or battles like Savo Island, I mean campaigns).

I brought my Marines (VMF-343, the "Dirt Divers"), stationed aboard Midway, and my Naval aviators (VF-63, the "Killer Pelicans"), stationed aboard the USS Yorktown.  While there were some individual successes, we lost way too many planes, scored too few victories, and lost too many pilots.  Here is the breakdown:

VMF-343 Dirt Divers
Escorted 24 bombers of various types, lost 14 of them
Intercepted 12 bombers of various types, stopped 4 of them
Killed 7 enemy fighters (another 4 were killed by bomber crews)
Lost 11 of the squadron's fighters (2 to enemy bomber crews)
No pilots became Aces, none were decorated
Three pilots KIA or MIA, one seriously wounded

VF-63 Killer Pelicans
Escorted 16 bombers of various types, lost 10 of them
Intercepted 12 bombers of various types, stopped 6 of them
Killed 7 enemy fighters (another 6 were killed by bomber crews)
Lost 13 of the squadron's fighters (2 to enemy bomber crews)
Four pilots became Aces, three Bronze Star w/V awarded
Six pilots KIA or MIA, three seriously wounded

Total:
Escorted 40 bombers of various types, lost 24 of them
Intercepted 24 bombers of various types, stopped 10 of them
Killed 24 enemy fighters (ten were killed by bomber crews)
Lost 24 friendly fighters (4 to enemy bomber crews)

So, not particularly pretty.  The US fighters shot down 14 Zeros, the Japanese fighters shot down 20 Wildcats, with the Japanese often being out numbered, though I must point out that the Japanese always had a qualitative advantage, sometimes quite significantly.

I plan on playing a week with the Chickenhawks in New Guinea, P-40s vs Zeros, with the Japanese maintaining their qualitative advantage, but when we get to Guadalcanal things are going to begin to change as cumulative losses begin to tell on the Japanese, and their aircraft advantage will go away as Wildcats and P-40s are replaced by Corsairs, Hellcats, and Lightnings.  Actually, the Japanese aircraft advantage will be nullified over Guadalcanal as I look to show the advantage the Marines had operating over the 'Canal, compared with the Japanese operating at the edge of their 'legs,' coming all the way from Rabaul.

Lastly, there is one bit of good news: A PBY out of Midway was patrolling wide swaths of ocean several days after the battle when the pilot suddenly had sunlight glare off of something on the water.  "What the hell?" the pilot commented to himself as it happened several more times.  He leaned over to his half-asleep co-pilot: "Barney, do see that there," he said, pointing.  "Put the glasses on it and tell me what ya got."  The co-pilot rubbed his eyes and pulled the binoculars to his face, scanning.  "Damn, Roger, it's a lifeboat."  The co-pilot called the sighting in to Midway, then they set down and, lo and behold, who did they fish out of the great Pacific Ocean but the hotshot fighter ace, Lt Fitzsimmons, winner of the Navy Cross, with five kills on four sorties!  Thanks Kyote and Shaun

Stay tuned!

V/R,
Jack

[paulr]

 

Midway was definitely the 'end of the beginning' as the first major reverse for the Japanese, one their naval air arm never recovered from

Coral Sea was a check rather than a reverse

Guadalcanal was the first major step on the long path back and a major drain on the Japanese navy in particular

[bigjackmac]

Yes Sir, I agree wholeheartedly!  Looking at the rosters, the Marines are still hurting, but the Navy squadron came out of that looking pretty good, actually, with four Aces and two Veterans (and another Ace convalescing but coming back at the end of Sep 1942)!  So they'll be alright in the long run.  The Army Air Corps boys are okay, with two Aces and two Veterans, with a Veteran recovering and returning in July 1942, but what's really hurting them is they've had two Aces shot down and off the rolls (one MIA and one KIA). 

All the Marines have is one Veteran, and another convalescing!  But that will all change once we get to Guadalcanal; if they survive!

V/R,
Jack

[Ithoriel]

Looking forward to the exploits of the Cactus Air Force!

[bigjackmac]

Me too, it's going to be intense!

V/R,
Jack